Mushrooming 2011

Heading up th hill with daddy. 

Did you know that mushrooms grow by Ash trees? I did not until today. I did, however, know that an HHR should not be used as an off road vehicle to find said mushrooms.... unfortunately, my husband didn't know this tidbit of information and only five minutes into our hike on a two track in Roscommon County, we bottomed out on some deep sand.  Now for some reason, it was the vehicle's fault....not my husband's.

Yet, despite our the HHR's mishap, Jesse, the boys and I enjoyed an afternoon of mushrooming. We didn't find many, eight total - but with two little boys we found a whole lot of porcupine poop, tons of bugs, three toads, a slug, a couple great walking sticks and lots of other kinds of mushrooms...all in all it was quite a successful day with two little boys zonked in the backseat most of the way home.

I did feel a bit guilty picking the mushrooms. They seem to have this mystical quality about them, as if magic trolls set up home within the mushroom village....but then I rationalize my "giant" like ways and think if the trolls are so magical they'd figure something out....they probably would try some of the magic words my husband used on the SECOND time he the HHR bottomed out....

Can you see the toad?? - From a four year old perspective it's pretty up close and personal :)